BC-OH–Ohio News Digest 6:00 pm, OH

Hello! Here’s a look at how AP’s general news coverage is shaping up in Ohio. Questions about coverage plans are welcome and should be directed to the AP Columbus bureau at 614-885-2727 or APColumbus@ap.org. Kantele Franko is on the desk. Deb Martin, AP Ohio news editor, can be reached at 800-762-4841 or 614-885-2727 or dmartin@ap.org.

A reminder this information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change. Expected stories may not develop, or late-breaking and more newsworthy events may take precedence. Advisories and digests will keep you up to date. All times are Eastern.

Some TV and radio stations will receive shorter APNewsNow versions of the stories below, along with all updates.

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UPCOMING TOMORROW:

OHIO VOTING AT 17

COLUMBUS — An Ohio judge is set to hear arguments in a dispute over whether the swing state’s youngest voters can have their say in Tuesday’s presidential primary race. UPCOMING: 130 words by 4 a.m., 130-word update after 1:30 p.m. hearing, then 400 words by 5 p.m.

COLUMBUS — A policy for Ohio’s youngest voters is under dispute in the swing state, causing confusion and prompting a legal challenge days before the primary election. At issue is whether 17-year-olds who will be 18 this fall can have a say in presidential primary race. By Ann Sanner. SENT: 660 words, photo.

GOP 2016-OHIO-KASICH

COLUMBUS — Yet to win a state and far behind in the delegate count, John Kasich turns to Ohio hoping high approval ratings and a robust get-out-the-vote operation will deliver him a victory in his home state Tuesday. Should he succeed, Kasich would deprive Donald Trump of the 66 winner-take-all delegates, slowing the businessman’s path toward clinching the GOP nomination outright. By Kathleen Ronayne. SENT: 780 words, photos. Stands for BC-OH–Election-Ohio-President, listed on the Ohio Election Coverage advisory.

AROUND THE STATE:

MUSLIM INMATE-LAWSUIT

CLEVELAND — Cuyahoga County settles federal lawsuits with two Muslim women who say they were forced to attend Christian church services while serving sentences in the county jail in Cleveland. SENT: 130 words. UPCOMING: 225 words by 7 p.m.

SOMALI SEX TRAFFICKING

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Federal prosecutors ask a judge to dismiss all the remaining charges in a sex trafficking case involving Somali gang members. The move is likely to bring an end to a case involving 30 people — many of them jailed for years — who were accused of being part of a child sex trafficking operation that took place in Minnesota, Ohio and Tennessee. By Sheila Burke. SENT: 130 words. UPCOMING: 500 words by 6:30 p.m.

GREAT LAKES-AQUACULTURE

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Three state agencies are recommending against using Michigan’s Great Lakes waters for a certain type of fish farming. By John Flesher. SENT: 415 words.

FOOD AND FARM-EARLY MAPLE SYRUP

PORTLAND, Maine — Producers in the U.S. “Maple Belt” say a mild winter has allowed them to tap trees early, but the harvest could be down from last year due to the early onset of spring warmth. In Ohio, most maple producers are already winding down for the year because of a stretch of warm days. By Patrick Whittle. SENT: 390 words, photos.

EARNS-EXPRESS

COLUMBUS — A fashion overhaul helped Express lure more customers to its stores and it reported better-than-expected earnings for the fourth quarter. Shares of the clothing chain jumped more than 4 percent in morning trading Wednesday. SENT: 330 words, photo.

EXCHANGE-A&M-SHAKESPEARE EXHIBIT

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — With its pages opened to the musings of Hamlet, visitors to Texas A&M University now have the opportunity to see a nearly 400-year-old printing of Shakespeare’s works. The exhibit is sponsored by the Folger Shakespeare Library and the Cincinnati Museum Center as it makes its way to all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico in 2016 for the 400th anniversary of the writer’s death. By Steve Kuhlmann, The Eagle. An AP Member Exchange. SENT: 780 words.

AMAZON-JETS

NEW YORK — E-commerce powerhouse Amazon finalizes an agreement to lease 20 Boeing jets from Air Transport Services Group Inc. as it builds out its U.S. delivery capabilities. SENT: 310 words, photo.

IN BRIEF:

— PASTOR SHOT: The brother of an Ohio pastor who was shot in a church office near the end of Sunday services has been indicted on murder charges and will be arraigned Thursday.

— PREGNANT GIRLFRIEND KILLED: A central Ohio man is sentenced to decades in prison after admitting he killed his pregnant girlfriend in October 2014.

— FLU CASES-OHIO: Ohio health officials say the number of flu-related hospitalizations has spiked for the first time during this relatively mild influenza season.

— FIGHTS CLOSE SCHOOL: A northeastern Ohio high school was closed following a series of fights between students that ended with police using chemical spray.

— JUSTICE CENTER-COSTS: The amount of money a northern Ohio city will spend on a new justice center has been capped at $3 million as the overall cost of the project increases.

— JAIL ESCAPE-DRONE: Police say a drone helped them track down an inmate shortly after he escaped from a northern Ohio jail.

— PRISON VIOLENCE-REPORT: A new report from a legislative watchdog agency says a southern Ohio prison continues to be the state’s most violent, troubled by gang activity, drug use and inmate complaints of use of force by corrections officers.

— OHIO VOTING: Ohio’s elections chief says more than 173,000 ballots have been cast ahead of the swing state’s primary contests next Tuesday.

— CAMPAIGN 2016-OHIO-AARP: AARP members, volunteers and activists in red t-shirts are showing up at presidential campaign events around Ohio to urge candidates to weigh in on the issue of Social Security.

— FIGHT ON VIDEO: Police say a central Ohio fight that left a 16-year-old girl seriously hurt was recorded on video by several of the dozen witnesses.

— AKRON ZOO-RENOVATIONS: The Akron Zoo in northeast Ohio has unveiled upgrade plans that include building a Ferris wheel high enough to provide a scenic view of downtown Akron.

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If you have stories of regional or statewide interest, please email them to APColumbus@ap.org. If you have photos of regional or statewide interest, please send them to the AP state photo center in New York, 888-273-6867. For access to AP Exchange and other technical issues, contact AP Customer Support at apcustomersupport@ap.org or 877-836-9477.

MARKETPLACE: Calling your attention to the Marketplace in AP Exchange, where you can find member-contributed content from Ohio and other states. The Marketplace is accessible on the left navigational pane of the AP Exchange home page, near the bottom. For both national and state, you can click “All” or search for content by topics such as education, politics and business.